BREAKING: Workers trapped on island following barge-bridge collision

Two workers rescued, bridge closed indefinitely

Posted: May 15, 2024 / 12:51 PM CDT

Updated: May 15, 2024 / 05:19 PM CDT

GALVESTON, Texas (KIAH) – A barge slammed into a bridge pillar in Galveston on Wednesday, spilling oil into surrounding waters and closing the only road to a smaller and separate island that is home to a university, officials said.

The Pelican Island Bridge was hit as a tugboat lost control of one of its barges and collided with a pillar and two telephone poles, said David Flores, a bridge superintendent with the Galveston County Navigation District.

“The current was very bad, and the tide was high. He lost it,” Flores said.

There were no immediate reports of injuries, although officials said one person on the barge was knocked into the water and quickly rescued.

The bridge is closed off to all vehicular travel after a barge collision just before 10 a.m. There is only one way on and one way off Pelican Island. Galveston police are in the area helping detour traffic.

A statement posted on the City of Galveston’s Facebook page said there were no reports of injuries and that the island is currently inaccessible to car traffic.

“Engineers from the Texas Department of Transportation are also enroute to inspect the roadway and determine if there is damage,” the statement said. “The bridge will remain closed until it is deemed safe to use.”

A tugboat works to maneuver a barge away from the Pelican Island Bridge in Galveston, Texas, on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, after the barge crashed into the bridge shutting down the only road access to and from the island. (Jennifer Reynolds/The Galveston County Daily News via AP)

Members of the Galveston Saltwater Fishing group said that debris from the bridge fell onto the barge. There were no injuries reported. However, the collision caused an oil spill that the U.S. Coast Guard responded to and are determining the extent of the spill. They will also initiate the containment and cleanup process.

The incident is currently being handled by emergency management officials from the City of Galveston, Texas A&M University at Galveston, as well as, Galveston fire and police departments, U.S. Coast Guard and Texas Department of Transportation.